FOLKLORE ONE
I was first out of the house today, so I have the luck seeing as I said ‘Welcome, Old Father Christmas’ as I opened the front door.
FOLKLORE TWO
I was first out of the house today, so I could bring in some holly. It’s bad luck to bring holly into the house before Christmas Eve, and I brought in a mixture of spiky and smooth to ensure harmony and balance throughout the next year.
FOLKLORE THREE
My St Lucy’s Day wheat grew. If I still had my knitted nativity, I could have made my offering.
FOLKLORE FOUR
On Midsummer’s Day I plucked a rose on the stroke of twelve, as it is said a rose plucked on the stroke of twelve on Midsummer’s Day will remain fresh until Christmas Day. It didn’t. But then I did arse this one up. On plucking, the petals were soft and smelled of apple, on unwrapping, they rattled and smelled of honey.
FOLKLORE FIVE
I boiled my Stir Up Sunday Christmas pudding for four hours before crowning it with the aforementioned holly, and flaming brandy. And very delicious it was too. If a little eggy, despite collectively having been boiled for ten hours.
BONUS FOLKLORE
Because Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year, it’s said the winter shall be neither here nor there (although it was chapel hat pegs this morning).
I’m now off find a folklore fix for a broken stomach. Happy Christmas!
Resources
Baker, M. (2019) Discovering The Folklore of Plants, Oxford, Shire Publications
Cooper, Q. and Sullivan, P. (1994) Maypoles, Martyrs & Mayhem: 366 Days of British Myths, Customs & Eccentricities, London, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Godfridus (1711) The Knowledge of Things Unknown: Shewing the Effects of the PLANETS and other Astronomical Constellations. With the Strange Events that befal Men, Women and Children born under them, London, H. Rhodes, in Fleet-street
Jones, J. and Deer, B. (1987) Cattern Cakes and Lace, London, Dorling Kindersley Limited
Kightly, C. (1994) The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore, London, Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Roud, S. (2006) The English Year: A Month-By-Month Guide To The Nation’s Customs and Festivals, From May Day to Mischief Night, London, Penguin Books
Vickery, R. (2019) Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A-Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants, London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
